Career Opportunities

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest report of the occupations expected to have the largest number of job openings through 2018 (measured by anticipated number of jobs added from 2008-2018) indicates that both post-secondary and elementary school teachers are among the top 15. Job openings for post-secondary teachers are expected to jump by 257,000 through 2018, while jobs for elementary school teachers will grow by 244,000.

New York State Bureau of Labor Statistics long-term occupational projections from 2006 - 2016 with regard to elementary education teachers in both private and public schools are as follows:

Elementary school teaching in both public and private schools (teaching students level base academic, social and their formative skills), especially on long Island and in the Mohawk Valley, is listed as an occupation with expected hiring.

With regard to the long-term demand for elementary school teachers through 2016, the need for elementary teachers, except those who teach students with special education needs, is increasing every year.

In 2006, there were 97,210 elementary school teachers. It is projected that there will be 107,600 in 2016. This is an increase of 10,390 elementary school teachers by 2016, a 10.7 per cent increase. Going forward, there will be an average of 3,160 annual openings per year for elementary education teachers throughout New York State.